Valve



March 8, 1938.

' VALVE Filed May 1, 1931 f )9 7/ I m w i I7 A W W W W H =WA& 7 A k #8 A V m7 I 7/ Z1 L INVENTOR Joe B. Jeffer- ATTORIz EYS Patented Mar. 8,1938 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE Joe Dunlap Seifer, Houston, Tex., assignor to Sinclair Refining Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maine Application May 1, 1931, Serial No. 534,308

6 Claims. (Cl. 251-93) This invention relates to an'improved two-way Referring to the drawing, the valve illustrated valve of special value in the handling of hot comprises a body 3 having three passages, 4, vapor mixtures from vapor phase cracking'operand 6, and a plug-type closure member 1 arations. These vapor mixtures are peculiarly difranged therein having two communicating ports, ficultto handle prior to the separation of the 8 and 9, adapted to register with passage 4 and tarry constituents which they normally contain I either passage 5 or passage 6. The closure memas discharged, at temperatures upwards of 950 her 1 is shown positioned to permit flow between, F., from the vapor phase cracking operation passages 4 and 6. proper. characteristically, these tarry constitu- Shallow recesses l0, II and I2 are provided in 19 ents of such vapor mixtures tend to form deposits the portions of the body 3 forming a seat for the choking or plugging any stagnant spaces in lines closure member, or plug, l covering the greater or valves. The usual T connection to two gate part of the area of the body 3 with which the valves to connect one line to either of two other plug 1 would otherwise contact, these shallow lines for example, even where the legs of the T recesses being connected at opposite ends by are very short and are connected directly to the annular recesses I3 and H. A ram I5 is pro gate valves, is not satisfactory for this purpose vided for forcing a fusible metal or alloy, such as because, with the vapor mixture passing through Woods metal which has a melting point of 149.9- either of the alternate passages a deposittends 158 F. or Roses metal which has a melting point to form in the stagnant leg of the T rendering of 194-210 E, into the space in these connected the operation of the valve system uncertain and recesses between the plug 1 and the body 3 to 20 irregular. Two-way valves embodying plug-type maintain therein a film of metal molten at the closure members assist in the elimination of temperatures prevailing in the valve during opstagnant regions but in such service such valves eration. The fusible metal or alloy used should tend to freeze in one position or to become advantageously have a melting point low enough 2 locked in one position due to the development of to be maintained in a molten state in a ram posibridges of hard coke between the closure memtioned as is the ram IS in the valve illustrated by bler and the valve body. The improved valve of the heat transmitted and radiated from the valve t is invention is of special value in the handling during operation.

of hot vapor mixtures from vapor phase cracking In the drawing the present invention is illusoperations, as just noted, but it is of more gentrated as embodying a valve of the general type eral value where similar diificulties are encoundescribed and illustrated in an application filed tered. February 26, 1929, Serial Number 342,904, by

In the improved two-way valve of this-inven- Eugene C. Herthel and Willis S. Gullette, now tion, a relatively thin fllm'of. molten metal is United States Patent No. 1,857,279. The two maintained between a large part of the adjacent supplementary closure members "5 and I1 may areas of the valve plug and the valve body which be arranged for lubrication by molten metal in would otherwise contact. The lubricating effect the same general manner, as illustrated in the thus secured in conjunction with the reduction drawing. of the area of direct contact between the valve In operation, a small amount of molten metal plug and the valve body materially assist in or alloy is lost each time the valve is reversed,

maintaining the Valve P ntly free fro but this loss is minimized by closing the connecg f 32 38 353; i'l e r l dggigg l r fii s fs s ggnf yi g tion between the recesses containing the molten 1 c P S 9 metal and the ram supplying the molten metal by the provision of shallow recesses those during the reversal of the valve. However, this 45 3: gigg g g ggg ig g g i fig 'f gg gg loss is inconsequential compared to the advanalloy of lowinelting point to these recesses as tages afforded i e of i z g of valves may be necessary to maintain them substantially used for handl ng 0 vapor m x ures mm vapor fun of the molten metal. phase cracking operations and the like.

The invention will be further described in com The imprmf'ed Valve of the mVePtI-On is of 50 motion with the accompanying drawing which special value in apparatus for carrying out, for illustrates, in some detail, in Fig. 1a section norexample, the P CB BS d s ribed in an applicamal to the axis of the closure member of the tion Serial um 341,214, fil d ua y valve and. in Fig. 2 a section on line 22 of 19 9,byH y Pelzel, 110W United- States Fig. 1. ent No. 1,873,024. 5

I claim:

1. A valve comprising a body having three passages and a plug-type closure member arranged therein having two communicating ports adapted to register with one of said passages and either of the other two of said passages, said body having shallow recesses over a substantial portion or the area of said body which otherwise would contact with said closure member, 8. molten metal or alloy filling said recesses and means for supplying said molten metal or alloy to said recesses.

2. A valve comprising a body having three passages and a plug-type closure member arranged therein having two communicating ports adapted to register with one of said passages and either of the other two of said passages, said body having shallow recesses over a major portion oi. the area oi! said body which otherwise would contact with said closure member, a molten metal or alloy filling said recesses, and means for supplying said molten metal or alloy to said recesses.

3. A valve comprising a body having three passages and a plug-type closure member a -ranged therein having two communicating ports adapted to register with one of said passages and either of the other two of said passages, said body hav-' ing shallow recesses over a major portion oi! the area of said body which otherwise would contact with said closure member, a molten metal or alloy filling said recesses, and means, including a reservoir, for supplying said molten metal or alloy to said recesses.

4. A valve comprising a body having three passages and a plug-type closure member arranged therein having two communicating ports adapted to register with one of said passages and either of the other two of said passages. said body having shallow recesses over a substantial portion of the area of said body which otherwise would contact with said closure member, a metal or alloy fusible at a temperature below about 210 F. filling said recesses and means for supplying said metal or alloy to said recesses.

5. A valve comprising a body having passages and a plug-type closure member arranged therein having communicating ports adapted to register with said passages, said body having shallow recesses over a major portion of the area of said body which otherwise would contact with said closure member, a molten metal or alloy filling said recesses, said molten metal or alloy acting as a lubricant, and means for supplying said molten metal or alloy to said recesses.

6. A valve suitable for handling hot vapor mixtures from vapor phase cracking operations comprising a body having passages and a plug-type closure member arranged therein having communicating ports adapted to register with said passages, said body having shallow recesses over a major portion of the area of said body which otherwise would contact with said .closure memher, a metal or alloy solid at ordinary temperatures but molten at the temperatures to which the valve is subjected filling said recesses, said metal or alloy acting as a lubricant, and means for supplying said metal or alloy to said recesses.

JOE DUNLAP SEIFER. 

